Doves Auto Repair

Worst auto service I ever experienced! Never again! My experience with Dove's Auto Repair was incredibly incompetent mechanics. For my November 2024 inspection, Dove's Auto Repair installed an invalid inspection sticker - expiration dated November 2026! It was installed right next to the Emissions sticker on the same windshield which has a November 2025 expiration date. Wow! Couldn't the Dove's Auto Repair mechanic see that? They also mounted a tire incorrectly (backwards) while losing a lug nut - replacing it with an impromptu and incorrectly sized lug nut, while breaking my windshield washer reservoir trying to replace a crankshaft sensor. They admitted to breaking the windshield reservoir after charging me to fix the problem they created. They also charged me for services they did not provide. They told me I needed a whole new exhaust system in order to pass my 2025 inspection. They screwed everything up with installing the exhaust system and I had to have another service garage correct all of their problems. Total waste of money! All of this was totally avoidable had they behaved in a professional manner. Fred Kerstetter exhibits the worst business acumen I've ever seen and it is totally embarrassing. You can't trust these guys! The best thing that came out of this was that I found competent and truly qualified ASE certified mechanics to replace ever having to come back to this trainwreck of a disaster known as Dove's Auto Repair.

My number one good thing to say is that they are honest! An honest mechanic is hard to find in a time when you CAN make a little more money and not get in a whole lot of trouble by just over charging here, lying there, playing manipulation games a little bit. But no, they just tell you what it is, what it’s gonna cost, and then they charge you for it. I was looking at buying a 2020 Corolla, so I asked the dealership, Bob Ruth Ford for an extended test drive so I could take it to Doves and they could get it on the lift and do a full bumper to bumper inspection, which in my opinion was pretty smart because an 3rd party honest mechanic has no incentive to stretch the truth, and so I paid them 100 dollars for an hour of them looking at it, and they came back with a full honest report, and they helped me avoid buying a vehicle that could’ve had 3000 dollars of needed repairs! I’ve gone with them for all my other repairs needed, and they’ve been very honest and reliable. Sometimes car repairs are just expensive nowadays, but if I’ve got something that’s gonna be an expensive fix, I want an honest mechanic doing it.

I had a flat tire, and I dropped the tire off to be repaired, which they completed. A few days after the low tire pressure light came on for that tire. It was low in air, thinking nothing off it, I filled it with air. After 3 days of doing so and in NY at the time, I ended up taking it to a garage there. I was told whomever fixed the leak previously did not do it correctly. The air was coming from the repair that was plugged, and they couldn't repair a repair over a repair! Being in NY, I had to buy a new tire! If the leak had been fixed correctly, I wouldn't have needed to spend another $225 for a new tire! That was on top of the cost I had paid Doves to fix it. What a disappointment!

We've taken a few of our vehicles to Doves, and for the most part we've had good service, completed on time for brakes, oil changes, and inspections. At one point we had our exhaust (from the cat converter back) replaced, and had issues with it afterward. To Doves credit, they tried twice to get it working and even replaced the exhaust a second time, but it continued to leak. We eventually sold the vehicle without the exhaust issue ever being completely fixed. For state inspections, oil changes, etc Doves has done a stellar job, but on the exhaust issue (which we needed for inspection) they missed the mark. Their customer service was great and they tried to make things right, but for whatever reason the solution wasn't forthcoming. I would use them again, but probably not for a major repair.

Great service. Head mechanic is knowledgeable and explained things to me in layman's terms. I would recommend them to anyone looking for service on their vehicle. Cost is no higher than other auto repair shops. Super friendly service.